Cleaning device



jan. 23, 3945. M. B ERBRICK 2,367,774

CLEANING DEVICE Filed March 27, 1942 Patented `an. 23, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLEANING DEVICE Milton B. Herbrick, Sterling, Colo. Application March 27, 1942, Serial No. 436,405

3 Claims.

. water for a distribution of the latter upon a windshield glass and cooperative flexible, nonabsorbent, non-abrasive strips so attached to the` cloth that the water is evenly distributed upon the glass, said strips .being so constructed and arranged that they are provided with a multiplicity of non-absorbent cutting or scraping edges for a removal of debrisl from said glass in conjunction with the cloth at times when the latter is saturated with water, the construction being such that said glass does not become marred .or scratched during cleaning operations.

Still further and other objectsand advantages of the invention will be understood fromthefollowing detailed description thereof, referencebe ing had to the accompanyingdrawing in which:

Figure l is a plan View of the new device, certain portions thereof being brokenaway.

Figure 2 is an edge view of the device shown in Figure 1, certain puckers employed being uncompacted.

Figure 3 is an edgeview taken at a right angle with respect to the view shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of a partially processed stripemployed, a certain portion thereof being broken away.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a fragment of a modification of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

It is well known that especially during the summer time the windshields of motor vehicles often become cluttered with debris particularly resultant from grasshoppers and similar insects becoming impinged against and smashed upon the glass thereof during forward travel of said vehicles, whereby a gummy substance from said insect source spreads over and adheres to the glass to such an extent that the drivers visibility through the glass is poor or impossible and operation of said vehicles dangerous o1 impeded. Also dried `mud and the like becomes adhered to the glass or" a windshield whereby frequent cleaning operations are necessitated. It is also Well known that a large number of chemical oompounds are on the market for the purpose of aid ing in the removal of said debris from windshields together `with mechanical devices such as Squeesee wipersand `the like for saidpurnose. However, squeegee devices and chemical :compounds do not providemeansforthorouehly ref moving said debris except Aby separate ,application and repetitions Voperations and the present invention aims to providecooperativemeans as? sembled in one tool for quickly. economicallyand thoroughly removing ,said debris .from windshields.

Referring now to the-drawing for a more particular description-I0 indicates lgenerally the new devicewhich includes a base `cloth II of any de.- sired .size formedof warp strands l2 and Wett 'strands I3 normally disposedet a rient-allele with respect to said `warp Strands. Said Warp and weft strands are suitably interwoven with respect to each other being comparatively widely paced apart preferably, whereby a flexible, soft cloth is provided.

The strands I2 and I3 are composed of cotton threads which are adapted to absorb Water for conveying said water to and upon .a windshield glass during a cleaning of the latter, said strands beingformed of said soft material in order that said glass does not become marred thereby duz, ing said operation. The binding edges I4 ofthe device I0 are also ysuitably interwoven lto the strands I2 and I3 being also formed of -saidsoft material for said purpose.

Transversely disposed yacross the cloth Hand attached thereto by suitable means spaced apart Strips I5 are provided.

The strips I5 arefformed of a Vsubstance that is pliable,vadapted to be folded without breaking, comparatively thin in crosssection, having a further essential characteristicof being impervious to moisture, non-absorbent of water, of comparatively good'tensile strength and wearing quality when processed as ylater described,.to gether with being nonfabrasive when applied to glass. These desirable andessentialcharacter. istics of said strip are inherent in sheets of Pliofilm a cellulose derived substance obtainable on the open market, said sheets being eut into elongated strips of width and length complemental to the selected size of the foraminous base cloth II.

In Figure 4, a strip I5 is depicted having a main body portion I6, a processed end portion I1 and an unprocessed end portion I8, together with side edges I8 and I9. The processing may be consummated by hand operating, if desired, and is more readily accomplished by means of a sewing machine and the use of its conventional as shown in YFigure 5, preferably foraminous puckering or shirring or ruching mechanism in connection therewith. The strip is folded and gathered into puckers 20 while passing through and by said mechanism, the latter also providing a row of stitches 2| through the main body portion of the strips and puckers for maintaining the gathered puckers 2U in position with respect to each other whereby the strip is provided with a large number of puckers throughout its length, said puckers being usually of irregular contour in plan.

Each pucker or shirr 20 is thus provided with a plurality of non-absorbent edges r cutters 22 a multiplicity of said edges being provided for each strip I5 by said processing. Also since the formation of the puckers stiiens the edges I8' and I9 of the strips between the puckers the said edges provide cutters as indicated at A in Fig ure 4.

At times when it is desired to directly attach the strips l5 to the cloth Il the latter may be placed under the conventional foot of a sewing machine mechanism in a well known manner and secured by means of rows of attaching stitches 23 as shown in Figure l for providing a plurality of spaced apart puckered strips attached to one side of the base cloth l I.

Referring to the modification shown in Figure 5, it will be understood that the cloth Il is provided approximately as above described and in lieu of attaching the puckered, ruched or shirred strips |5` to the cloth by means of stitches 23 said puckered strips are interwoven between alternate warp strands, certain of the weft strands being partially severed where necessary, as shown in Figure 5. The advantage of the modication is that the stitching 23 is omitted. Also since the cloth Il through repeated use, will ultimately wear out and the strips l5 being of greater lifeuse, upon the cloth Il becoming unduly worn the strips l5 may be removed therefrom and inserted, by the owner, in a new cloth readily and without sewing.

In operation the cloth Il is saturated with water, applied to and pressed against the glass, being moved briskly thereagainst, the operator placing his palm adjacent the middle of the cloth shown and against the side thereof which is opposite 'to the strips, `whereby the puckers bear against the glass, said pressure ilattening said puckers and squeezing water out of the cloth, together with distributing said water upon the glass.

In order to provide an adequate and approximately evenly proportional distribution of water to the cutter edges 22 the strips I5 are preferably evenly spaced apart in order that water becomes trapped between oppositely disposed strips under the operators plam and between thelatter and the windshield glass at the time pressure is applied by said palm for squeezing water out of the cloth and for compacting the puckers against said glass for causing the edges 22 to engage said puckers 20, the

debris. The water trapped between the strips readily permeates between the puckers and is applied to said cutter edges 22 and since the latter are disposed at an angle with respect t0 each other, normally and especially so disposed resultant from motion in various directions applied by the operator during brisk movements to and fro of his palm, the edges 22 quickly loosen and remove said debris since said edges engage the debris from all angles.

During said brisk movement of the cloth the sufficiently sharp edges or cutters 22 of the puckers 26 cooperate with said water and clot for loosening and cutting debris from the glass without marring the latter, since said water does1 not lessen the cutting characteristics of the non-A absorbent, non-abrasive edges 22 of the pliable ylatter bending sunlciently, resultant from said pressure, to permit said edges to confront and engage sa'd debris during contact thereof with the surface of-said glass. The cloth Il is preferably foraminous since the same provides operators for receiving debris therein particularly at times when debris has accumulated thickly or heavily on the glass prior to a removal thereof.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a cleaning device constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modication without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish it to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as claimed.

I claim:

1. A cleaning device for windshield glass comprising a flexible Water absorbent cloth, a plurality of flexible non-absorbent pliable strips transversely disposed across said cloth in spaced relation to one another and stitching extending through the longitudinal center of each strip, each of said strips being normally of greater length than the length of said cloth and puckered to contract the length thereof equal tothe length of said cloth, said puckering forming yieldable portions offset from said cloth, the opposite lengthwise edges of said strips being free of said cloth whereby the puckered portions thereof may flex independent of said cloth.

2. A cleaning device as set forth in claim l wherein said puckered portions are formed with angularly related relatively flat portions to thereby provide a plurality of abrasive edges.

3. A cleaning device as set forth in claim l wherein said cloth is formed of loosely woven strands.

MILTON B. HERBRICK. 

